


Thinking About Forever

by iamacatcatcat



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Babysitting, Corgis, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 01:43:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3832411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamacatcatcat/pseuds/iamacatcatcat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry owns a pet store that sells specialty corgis. Louis is an au pair in London. The two meet because of Louis' dog. It's really fate, since the two have been checking each other out for weeks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thinking About Forever

     Harry brushes the thick fur of a corgi as it sits on a table in the sunny London store. Other short-legged dogs scamper around Harry’s legs, peering up at him with circular brown eyes. Harry smiles and says “How are we doing today, pups? I wonder if anyone’s going to be lucky enough to take one of you home today.” He continues to absentmindedly comb through the fur and watches people pass outside of the specialty corgi pet shop. The shop is on a side street off of a busy road with a main tube stop, so he sees many of the same people during their daily work commutes. There’s one man that he sees with less regularity, but always seems to draw his gaze whenever he walks by. He’ll often be carrying groceries, or with two small children. He looks a bit young to already have 5 year old children though, so Harry thinks that he may be the older brother on babysitting duty. But there’s something that attracts Harry to this man, maybe the way his hair flutters when he walks, or maybe his variety of stripped shirts and braces.   
    Harry shakes his head to snap out of his daydreaming. He’s been brushing the same dog for ten minutes, and the dog is looking up at him with a befuddled expression that only corgis are capable of producing. “Sorry Henry,” Harry says as he scoops up the dog from the table, places him on the ground, and fetches a different dog to brush.   
  
~  
  
    Louis is generally very good at taking care of children, as he had a lot of experience with babysitting his younger siblings. However, the Morrison family has demon children, he swears.   
    “Could you PLEASE not throw that vase into the wall, William?” Louis shouts over the din of whining children. “And Kathryn, do you genuinely think that ripping the heads off of your dolls will accomplish anything?” Louis is tired of looking after these two brats, but he needs the money, and being an au pair for these menaces is better than living at home. He makes a quick decision that they could get in less trouble if they just went to the park down the street.   
    “OKAY kids! How about we take a trip to the park instead of destroying the house, huh? How does that sound?” Louis suggests loudly.  
    “Fine, I guess soooooo,” Kathryn whines.   
    Louis swiftly leads the kids out the door, and towards the park. They walk along the side street, and Louis sees his favorite shop coming up ahead. It’s a little place that breeds corgis, and it’s not the corgis that interest Louis, but the cute man who runs it. He has long, curly hair, and the sweetest smile that dimples his cheeks when he sees one of the dogs do something cute. Louis would be a liar if he said that he’d never stood across the street from the shop for a while and watched the man pet his corgis. There’s just something so endearing about this guy; Louis could say that he was a bit infatuated with him. Suddenly, Louis’s phone rings, and snaps him out of his reverie.   
    “Hello?”  
    “Oh hi, Loubear, it’s your mum. So the girls and I want to come down this weekend to visit our big city boy! We’ve made the plans already, so I hope you’re free!”  
    “Ah hi, Mum. I’m actually with the kids right now, but yeah, I think I’m free this weekend. It’ll be lovely to see you.”  
    “Great, honey! There is just one problem though. The hotel we booked doesn’t allow dogs, and you know how Darcy gets when we’re away from her, so I was wondering if there is a dog kennel where we can have her stay for those few nights?”  
    Louis sighs. He loves this dog, but Darcy is a bit ridiculous. The corgi has panic attacks if someone moves her bowl two feet across the floor without her permission, and can practically never be left alone without whining dramatically for hours. “Uh well actually there is a place I know that breeds corgis, so maybe they can keep her there? I’ll ask and get back to you, Mum, okay? I gotta go now, love you!” Louis knows that if he stays on the phone any longer, the kids will run off to terrorize the pigeons or something.   
    “Come on, kids! We’re going to make a slight detour.”  
  
~  
  
    The bell above the door jingles, and Harry looks up with a smile, but then his whole body freezes. It’s the adorable man sporting, of course, some preppy suspenders, a t shirt with an anchor on it, and two kids on each of his sides.   
    “Hello there!” the man says with a charming grin. “I was wondering if this place also doubles as a kennel? I need to keep my dog somewhere for a couple of days. She’s a corgi too, so that’s why I thought to ask you, since you have the corgis and what not, you know.” The man is rambling a bit, but Harry doesn’t mind because he likes the way his lips moves and how he bites the bottom of his lip occasionally. “I pass by this shop a lot actually with these kids I babysit” the man continues as he looks around the room. “It’s nice to finally get to see the inside.” Harry supposes he should probably respond in some way.  
    “Uh yeah, I see you walk by sometimes,” Harry quickly said. “I mean, it’s like not a busy street, so I see a lot of the same people, I guess?” He rubs the back of his neck as a flush creeps into his cheeks. “Anyways, yeah you can have your dog stay here for a few days if you’d like. I have the room to keep another dog, and it’ll be nice to have a fresh pup to pamper.” Harry smiles at the man, and tries not to let his mind wander to how much he’d like to taste those inviting lips of his.   
    “Great, so I’ll bring the dog by on Friday then, uh ….?”   
    “Harry! My name’s Harry.”  
    “Friday then, Harold,” Louis says with a smirk. “And I’m Louis by the way.”  
    Harry laughs, “I’ll see you on Friday with your dog, Louis.” Louis turns, grabs the hands of the two kids, and walks towards the door. “Wait!” Harry cries out. “Can I have your number?” He stutters, “I mean uh like in case something happens with your dog or I need to let you know about something?”  
    Louis grins. “Yeah sure.” He writes it down on a piece of paper and hands it to Harry with a coy look. “Well, aren’t you going to give me yours?”  
    Harry smiles shyly. “Here, you can have my business card. Just got new ones made.”  
    “I like that the corgis are wearing socks.”   
    “Well, you don’t want a cold pawed pup, do you?  
    “No, I suppose not,” Louis replies thoughtfully. “Alright, Harry,” Louis holds the business card up between two fingers and winks. “I’ll see you later.”  
    Harry manages to wave and give Louis a dimpled grin as he walks out the door before he collapses face down on the counter.  
    “Shit, guys,” Harry exclaims to the surrounding dogs. Harry calms his erratic breaths and filthy thoughts, and sets out to do some paperwork and clean the shop before he gets distracted again.  
  
~  
  
    As Louis walked the kids towards the park, his mind kept wandering back to this conversation with Harry. The way he smiled when he talked about the dogs, the way his eyes shone like bright green orbs, the way his hair was so lush and —     “LouuUUUUU!!!”  
    “Curly,” Louis breathed softly. “Oh, uh,” he stuttered as he caught himself. “What is it, Kathryn?”   
    “Can I get an ice-cream pleeeeeeeease?”  
    “Sure. And yes, William, you can have one too.”   
    “It needs to have toppings.” Louis’ mind tracked back to Harry at the idea of topping. He hasn’t even seen the man’s nether regions up close yet, but he still knows that he wants to get his dick in that bum as soon as possible. You are with children. Innocent children, Louis chastises himself. Calm your tits. But on the subject of tits, Harry’s unbuttoned shirt left very little to the imagination, and Louis just wanted to suck those little —  
    “OW!! Ow ow ow oooowwww!!!” Never a good sound to hear when babysitting. Louis turns around to William on the ground clutching at his bloodied kneecap while his sister looks coyly off in the distance. That brat. Louis crouches down next to William to inspect the damage.  
    “I know this hurts a lot William, but I don’t think the scratches are very deep. Do you think you can walk back home okay?”  
    “NO. I AM NOT OKAY.” Typical.   
    “Well let’s at least make a valiant effort, shall we?” Louis heaves the kid off the ground, much to William’s indignation, and starts the trek back to the house. They make it most of the way back until Louis hears another outcry as Kathryn trips her brother again, except now on the other leg. “Delightful menace, aren’t you?” Louis mutters mostly under his breath. Suddenly, a mop of curly hair appears next to him where he sits beside William on the ground.   
    “Hi! Sorry, I just saw that the boy was hurt, and I wanted to help, not that I think that I think you can’t handle this on your own, but I have some plasters if you need them and I—”   
    “Harry! Hi! Hi. Yeah, a plaster or two would be good.”  
    “Okay, just come inside.” Louis pulls William up into his arms, trying to avoid getting bloody knees all over his shirt. He plops the boy on the counter as Harry goes to fetch supplies.  
    “Sorry to barge in like this, Harry, you probably have better things to do than bandage up the kid I’m supposed to be taking care of.”  
    “No no it’s really alright! I like kids. And it’s nice to see you again, even though it’s under these circumstances.” Harry batted his eyelashes up at Louis as he crouches, ripping open a bandage to stick on the kneecap. He fixes plasters to both knees, and pats William on the back. “All good, kid!”  
    “Will you kiss it to make it feel better?” William whines.  
    “Will you kiss me to make me feel better?” Louis mutters quietly, but not so quiet that Harry doesn't pick up on it.  
    “If you behave, maybe I will,” Harry responds with a smirk. Louis blushes, not expecting Harry to flirt back with him. Louis walks his fingers up Harry’s arm, watching as the little hairs stand up. Harry’s eyes go wide as he looks into Louis’s bright blue orbs.   
    “Well, Harry, thanks for patching this little brat up, I’ll see you around sometime,” Louis says, patting Harry’s arm and breaking the silent tension between them. “Maybe I’ll come in one day and surprise you.” Louis grabs the hands of the kids and pulls them towards the door, but not without throwing a heavy look over his shoulder at Harry. He licks his lips, and pushes open the door, leaving just as quickly as he came.   
    Harry leans over the counter and puts his head in his hands. “This man is going to be the death of me, I swear.”   
  
~  
  
    Over the next two days, Louis finds reasons to walk by the shop to make silly faces at Harry through the windows. He’ll stick his tongue out, and Harry will cross his eyes comically, each trying to outdo the other. It leaves both boys with a fuzzy feeling in their tummies.  
    Friday comes quickly, and Louis meets his family and dog at the train station.   
    “Looooouis!!” his mother calls out. “How’s my baby boy?”   
    “I’m fine, Mum. How are you girls doing?” A chorus of ‘good’ resounds back to him. He takes Darcy’s leash from his mother. “Alright, pup, let’s get you to your hotel for the weekend.” They walk the short way over to the shop, and jingle the bell as they walk through the door. Harry’s cheeks dimple as he recognizes his favorite customer.   
    “Hiii Louis!!” Harry says brightly. “Is this your family? And Darcy? Oh what a cute little pup you are, yes you are!” Harry crouches down and snuggles his hands into Darcy’s dense fur.   
    Louis chuckles. “Yes, this is my mum and my sisters. Girls, this is Harry, he runs this shop here.”   
    Harry springs back up to his full height and extends his hand to Louis’ mum and sisters, smiling charmingly. “Yup, this is my place. Feel free to look around at all the dogs, I’ll talk to Louis about Darcy.” The girls scoot off to various areas of the shop, cooing about the cute corgis that are milling around. Harry mimes pulling Louis closer as if he was attached to a rope. Louis laughs and shimmies over to where Harry is leaning against the counter.   
    “So you think you can handle this bratty dog for a couple of days?” Louis asks, pointing to Darcy as she cocks her head.   
    Harry squats down to pick up Darcy’s front paws so that she is sitting on her back haunches. He begins to play with her stubby legs, making her dance. “Oh I believe we’ll be best friends soon enough, right honey?”   
    “Good, as it should be noted that any prospective lovers need to get along with my pets,” Louis boldly states.  
    Harry’s heart rate increases. He puts Darcy’s feet back on the ground to give Louis his full attention. “Any other requirements that I should be aware of? Perhaps they need to be good with their hands?”  
    “Obviously,” Louis breathes.  
    Harry steps closer to Louis. “Need to be versatile?”  
    “From the bottom to top.”   
    “Maybe has a great sex playlist?”  
    “Are you suggesting that you have one?”  
    Harry shrugs as he leans in. “Would you like to find out?”    
    “HeyYY Louis!!” Lottie’s yell makes Louis jump back a foot in surprise. He almost forgot that his family was in the same room. “Sorry to interrupt you and your boyfriend, but we’ve got places to see, food to eat, and —”  
    “Okay Lotts! Geez.” Louis turns back towards Harry. “Uh so I’ll pick her back up on Sunday, alright?” Harry nods, blushing. Louis hands him the leash, along with a small bag with some food and toys in it. Louis’ voice goes soft. “I’ll see you later, Harold.” He signals his family towards the door, herding them onto the street.   
    Harry sighs and watches as his dogs prance over to greet Darcy. Then he notices a bit of yellow peeking out of her collar. He bends over to pick it up, and sees that it’s a short note. It reads: Sunday. Dinner. My place. An address is scribbled at the bottom of the paper. Harry giggles as a blush rises to his cheeks again. Dinner. With Louis. This cute stranger he’s been ogling for months. He doesn’t think life could get any better.  
  
~  
  
    It’s 11:30 pm on Saturday, and Harry is pacing frantically in his shop. Tears stream down his face. He wishes he could only turn back time, but the damage is done.   
    He accidentally killed Darcy.   
    It’s completely tragic because he was trying to give her a wonderful bubble bath, with lots of bath toys and fruity scents, but the hair dryer was precariously placed, and it fell into the tub. “How could I be so HORRIBLE?? I ELECTROCUTED A DOG,” Harry cries out, weeping into his hands. He didn’t even know what to do with her, so he left her in the tub with a soft towel draped over her body. He knows he should call Louis, but he’s terrified that he’ll hate him, but he really can’t keep it a secret much longer because the family is going to pick the dog up tomorrow, but there won’t be a breathing dog to pick up, but it’s gonna be a decaying corpse. In other words, Harry is very upset about the whole situation. He decides that he has to call Louis because he knows he’ll just be up worrying the whole night otherwise.   
    His hands shake as he dials Louis’ number. It rings three times before Louis answers, enough time to make Harry perspire excessively. “He-hello, Louis? Are you there?”   
    “Oh heey, Harry! How are you doing tonight? You up for anything exciting?”   
    “Uh not that well, actually Louis, um I need you to come down to the shop right now, I mean if you can, but I do really need to tell you something.”  
    “Do you have a pressing matter to attend to? Maybe I can assist you with it.”   
    “Well yeah, it is a bit pressing and time sensitive. Um, can you come? Please?”  
    “All you had to do was ask, Harold, and I’d be there. See ya soon, love.”  
    Harry drops the phone with shaking hands. How is he going to tell Louis that he accidentally murdered his dog?   
    “Hey Louis.”   
    “Hey Harold.”   
    “So I killed your dog.” Too direct.  
    “I think your dog is dead?” Too doubtful.   
    “Darcy is in heaven now. She is in a better place.” But what if she’s not? What if she did the work of the devil and is in hell? Then that would be a complete lie.   
    “May I offer you an alternative animal?” Hm. That could work.   
    As Harry pondered his options, the bell above the door rang ominously.   
    “Harrrrrreyyyy,” Louis crooned as he waltzed through the door. He was obviously a bit tipsy, and looking for a good time. “I’m so happy to see your cute little dimpled face. Can’t wait to get all over that,” he said, strolling over to where Harry was frantically pacing. Louis reaches out his hands towards Harry’s face, grabbing onto his rounded cheeks and slowly caressing them.   
    Harry mumbles, mouth distorted from Louis’ touching, “Muh I off ehr yuh an arternitif aunimo.”   
    Louis giggles, dropping his hands to quickly peck Harry on the cheek. “What are you saying, babe? May you offer me your bed?” Louis begins to lean in to kiss Harry, but Harry stops him abruptly —  
    “I killed your dog!” He swiftly covers his mouth with his hands as his eyes begin to water. Louis’ eyes go wide. Harry can’t stop the tears as he sees Louis face crumple in confusion.   
    “I… I don’t understand, Harry.”  
    “It was an accident, I swear! Please believe me, I would never kill anything on purpose, Darcy was a beautiful dog, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. It was an accident,” Harry trails off. He tries to continue when he sees Louis’ blank face. “You see, I gave her a bath? And then the blow dryer was too close to the edge, and it fell in, and well. She didn’t survive. Louis, I feel so awful, you have no idea.” Tears are still streaming from his eyes, making Harry look quite tragic.  
    “Oh geez…” Louis says under his breath, shifting from foot to foot.  
    “I’m so sorry, Lou,” Harry whispers. There is a pause between them as Louis processes the information.   
    “Did you just offer me an alternative animal? Is that what you said?” Louis asks suddenly, laughing slightly.  
    “Errr yes? God, that’s so inconsiderate. I’m really a terrible person, and I don’t know why you’re still talking to me and not hitting me or something.”  
    “Why would I hit you?”  
    “I killed your dog? Did you not hear at all what I just said?” Harry asks, bewildered.  
    “But it was obviously an accident. I mean, Darcy was getting pretty old and senile. She was a pain more than anything, really. We’ve all kinda been waiting for this day.” Louis says lightly. “Which isn’t to say that we’ll miss her, or that we didn’t care about her. But it’ll be okay, Harry.”   
    Harry feels like he may pass out. Louis is the most perfect, forgiving, kind person he has ever met, and he’s feeling a bit overwhelmed. “You don’t hate me?” Harry still asks.  
    “No! Harry, I came here to make out with you, and this accident doesn’t change that I’m really into you. My family will be okay with this, so please stop worrying.” Louis says exasperatedly. “So come over here and let me kiss you.”   
    Harry tentatively walks over to where Louis is standing. Louis reaches out to brush away the stray tears from Harry’s eyes, rubbing his cheekbones affectionately. He feels some tension drain away. Louis stares with soft eyes at Harry, then finally leans in to press his lips against Harry’s, sighing quietly. Harry reaches his hand up and weaves it into Louis’ hair, pulling him closer. A few minutes of tender kissing pass. Finally, Harry breaks away to yawn. “I’m sorry, I’m just so emotionally exhausted. I need to sleep.”  
    “Alright,” Louis responds.  
    “But you can stay with me if you’d like. I’d like it if you would.” Harry says, shuffling his feet a bit.   
    “I’d like that a lot,” Louis says, pressing a kiss into Harry’s jaw. Harry smiles, takes Louis’ hand, and leads him upstairs to his room above the shop. They both shuck their trousers and shirts off, and fall into bed. Louis tugs Harry closer to his chest, sensing that he needs to feel loved and forgiven. He kisses the back of his neck, his hair, his shoulder blades. Harry falls asleep comforted by Louis’ soft ministrations and strong arms wrapped around his waist.   
  
~  
  
    The sun wakes them up. Louis’ legs are wrapped around an unfamiliar duvet, but his arms still encircle a very familiar boy. He kisses Harry softly on the jaw, and watches as he nuzzles back into Louis’ arms. He feels like he could get used to this. Harry slowly blinks, waking up, and turns around to face Louis. “Good morning,” he says with a smile, his voice all rough from sleep.   
    “Hi, love,” Louis responds, giving Harry a proper kiss. Suddenly, Harry draws back and his eyes go wide. “What’s wrong?”   
    “Darcy. I forgot her in the bathtub last night.” Harry shoots out the bed and runs down the stairs, clad only in his tight pants. Louis stumbles after him. Harry looks over at Louis as they stand over the tub. “I suppose I should call a veterinarian to come and take her away.” Louis notices that Harry’s eyes are getting misty again.   
    “Babe, it’s gonna be okay. These things happen, alright? Darcy, uh, she lived a pretty good life, I guess. Don’t feel so bad about yourself,” Louis consoles him. Harry nods, and turns away to call the local vet. They arrive about a half hour later, carry Darcy out to a small van, and then drive away. Harry rubs his eyes dejectedly, but Louis just wraps his arms around him again. Harry leans back and closes his eyes, and the two stand there swaying for a bit.   
    Finally, Louis realizes that he should really tell his family what happened. He calls them up, explains the situation to his mother, and tells them to head back down to the shop. “I guess we really will need an alternative animal after all,” Louis says with a chuckle. “At least you have some cute puppies.”  
    “That I do have. This one,” Harry says, pointing to a dog with golden fur, “is a personal favorite. I think your family would love him.”  
     The Tomlinsons come in a few minutes later. Harry apologies profusely to them, they accept the apologies, and then go look at their new puppy. Harry’s surprised that they take the news so well, but he supposes that Louis was right: the dog was close to death anyways.   
    Louis pulls Harry aside. “Are you still up for dinner tonight? You saw my note, right?”   
    “Yes, I would love to,” Harry smiles and kisses his nose.   
    “Alright, I’ll see you at 7, love.” Louis gathers up his family and new dog, grins at Harry, and leaves the shop.   
    Harry leans over the counter, smiling. “Well, pups, looks like I got myself a man.”   
  
    ~  
  
    That night, Harry kisses Louis while wrapped in blankets and his arms, and thinks about forever. 


End file.
